1. The healthiest individuals are more at risk than the young, old, or infirm. The immune system over-attacks the virus in the lungs, creating what's
called a cytokine storm. Basically, your immune system destroys your lungs and you may die within eight hours of first contact with the virus. The
better your immune system, the more likely you are to die should you come into contact with a human version of H5N1. Adults aged 20-40 can expect the
highest fatalities.

2. The latest tracks of H5N1 suggest that the virus travels along economic lines. An outbreak in India, China or elsewhere in Asia will most likely
research Europe and the Americas via international travel. Should the virus ever mutate to allow transmission from human to human, we would need to
close down our airports and seaports almost immediately. Otherwise, despite our best warnings, we could little to avoid the first wave.

Recent history has shown that governments in southeast Asia, where avian flu first occurs, have been very lax in admitting an outbreak, often waiting
weeks before confirming reports of illness. Such a lag time, in the event of a pandemic, would foil any and all efforts at global containment.

I cannot prove this, but I have been told by a person (who knows about these things) that in his opion that human mutation of H5N1 is the largest
threat to humanity, due to the expected death toll and economic destruction.

Originally posted by AJ Lavender
A couple of scary things about H5N1 avian flu:

Recent history has shown that governments in southeast Asia, where avian flu first occurs, have been very lax in admitting an outbreak, often waiting
weeks before confirming reports of illness. Such a lag time, in the event of a pandemic, would foil any and all efforts at global containment.

this is what i would be worried about, it seems that asia (and poss every country) is worried about economic implications of avian flu (whether or not
carcases and live bodies test positive).
the op is very worrying indeed, but i fear we wont ever konw the truth of the matter unless avian flu is so obviously abound.
m x

Just last night on the car radio I heard an advertisement from one of our hospitals (medical sciences) offering some type of tests to young adults
over the age of 16.
I wasn't really listening to the ad, I hear them from time to time regarding HIV, Herpes, depression, etc and they become a bit redundant after a
while. But this one definitely mentioned the H5N1 Bird flu virus as the focus of the testing.

I found it weird, the Halifax area has a populous of around 350k (last time I heard), hardly a large testing area for vaccines or the like.

It was odd hearing them actually mention tests ( not in the diagnoses sense ) in regards to the Bug.

This may be a common occurrences in other areas, just thought it was a bit odd in my area.

-"Bird flu is now everywhere. Every day we have reports of birds dying in farms"

-In most of the districts , the villagers were resisting culling of their backyard poultry.

-"Poultry is a major source of income for the poor villagers. It is not unusual for them to resist culling. So we have to persuade them rather than
force them," said Manasa Hansda, a senior official of Birbhum, one of the worst-hit districts said.

-Things are now very serious and public health is [in] danger," he said, alleging that farmers were reluctant to report new cases.

-The problem is made worse because many poor and illiterate farmers are sometimes misinformed about basic hygiene.

-Health experts have warned that the outbreak could get out of control.

-If this spreads to Calcutta, there will be panic and chaos.

-The municipal authorities in Calcutta are not prepared for such a situation.

Birds has to die, because few years ago lot of insects(like bees) died mysteriously. I'm not saying this is ID or anything, but it is good that there
will be fewer birds to eat out the last remaining polluters. If Darwin was right, mankind might only have about 4 years before extinction, if
polluters would perish from this globe. This is, of course, just a thought from a very subjective perspective

It wouldn't make much harm if few
erecting apes would die in process.

Diseases like these have always existed and they will because it's one of the nature's ways to make things even; question is how much damage mankind
does to the whole complex system when it tries to find cure to all existing diseases? Because we have doctors and medicines, we will be forced to
artificially reduce human volume - but it is ourselves to blame, because we could've been wiser and thought of birth control first. But no, even
today we have some religious people trying to prevent birth control meanwhile they themselves do everything to prolong their lives over it's natural
span.

There's also good money to medicine industry in this fearbusiness. Amongst the respectable laboratories that are really trying to invent cure, runs
rampart a business of quack remedy whom abuse people fears (fear not) to make quick buck out of weak mind. If this influenza spreads, we will be
seeing all kind of medicy, sold with most prosperous prices.

I really don't have any faith in the authorities in India claiming that no humans have tested positive in this outbreak. The teams culling the H5N1
positive birds are being admitted to hospitals with respiratory disorder and fever, 2000+ other people have unexplained fever, but they don't have
Bird Flu...? Riiiight...

I predict this will be a national crisis in a week and go global soon after. Hey, look at the bright side... we won't have to worry about the
collapsing economy or plasma shooting asteroids.

well, for the first time my children brought home a booklet with about 12 pages or so about what do to for a flu pandemic. Soooo...even though I know
these types of outbreaks have occured throughout history, having these sent home for the first time just makes me a little more concerned about the
whole thing. I'm not launching into a conspiracy yet, but just gives me the shivers...

Okay, this appears to be one of those "reading one thing, but seeing another" situations.

Consider the news carefully one more time:

There's a human outbreak of fever, in the area that was Ground Zero for Bird Flu. The did not say there was an outbreak of fevers
caused by Bird Flu.

Bird Flu has spread to half of India's West Bengal State. IN BIRDS, not people.

The two news stories are unrelated, and misleading when paired together.

If there was suddenly thousands of fever outbreaks in Italy (ground zero for the Black Plague), would you then assume that the Black Plague had come
back to strike Europe?

Finally, I feel compelled to mention that if H5N1 became capable of latching onto humans, it wouldn't be H5N1 anymore. It'd probably be H5N5, or
something else, but that's kind of nitpicking. The N glycoprotein has to change so that it's "key" effectively fits our "lock".

Anyway, let's all calm down, and not work ourselves into a frenzy about a plague that hasn't happened yet. Is it a potential danger? Yes, but it's
not happening right this minute.

Excellent points. Let's reiterate that H5N1 transmission to humans is not being reported. Outbreaks of H5N1 among poultry are not uncommon in Asia,
particularly this time of year. For transmission to humans, and among humans, requires the virus to undergo a couple of specific mutations.

While some, even in the scientifc community, are suggesting that avian flu in humans may result in a 60% death rate globally, we shouldn't accept
these statistics as proven. Because H5N1 has yet to mutate into human transmissable form, no one knows just how it would behave.

It's possible the virus would mutate itself out of existence, as occurred with H1N1 during the flu pandemic in the early 20th century. it's possible
that the virus would become so volatile (think Ebola) and kill so quickly that it would not allow the host to live long enough to act as a successful
carrier.

So if there will be a global outbreak and some scenario like in the movie I am Legend with Will Smith.Who is going to have the leading role?
I think Obama could fit into that role, a man in a high ranking offical position.
But i don`t know if he has a dog?If not he can take the dog from Bush when is going into Retirement.
I hope he will save us...

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